It was one of the most popular games of the 80s and has had a recent resurgence in popularity thanks to TV shows like ‘Stranger Things’. Now, a Granville resident is urging local libraries to jump on the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) bandwagon.
The dice is in the Cumberland City Council’s libraries hands, after long-time D&D fan Tobius Edwardson started a petition online encouraging the venues to bring back sessions of the popular role-playing game.
Having played D&D since 2018, Edwardson said there are plenty of benefits to participating in the game.
“What I find about Dungeons and Dragons specifically is it lets people be creative, it lets people tell stories,” he told Parra News.
“It’s not just a game for us it’s also a way for us to catch up, a way to talk about our lives, our work, what’s going on, sometimes bring up some troubles and we don’t just brush it over, we debrief it.
“It’s like okay, let’s try to make the game about solving that theoretical trouble in a pretend world.”
But it’s not just about catching up and having fun, with Edwardson saying D&D helps teenagers gain an interest in reading, mathematics and problem solving.
“Dungeons and Dragons promotes literacy, there’s lots of reading… there’s numeracy and all about probability,” he added.
“It’s all about problem solving, not everything has to come down to a sword and a battle, it can come down to negotiation.”
D&D has long-since appeared in popular media, but shows like ‘Stranger Things’ and the recent ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves’ movie has led to the younger generation becoming even more interested in the game, according to Edwardson.
“It’s always in pop culture and yeah it may be associated with being a bit nerdy, but there’s nothing wrong with that,” he said,
“Especially with teenagers, it’s probably better that a program like that exists so it kind of keeps them out of trouble, to kind of have an outlet and be in a safe space, be around people, parents know where they are.”
Edwardson is now encouraging other Cumberland locals who have an interest in the game to sign the petition and help bring D&D to local libraries.
“In a day and age where it seems like a lot of people are saying no, this is a place where people can say yes,” he said.
“It’s about just letting people have that creative outlet while also promoting reading, learning, numbers, all that kind of stuff.”
To sign the petition go to http://www.change.org/p/play-dungeons-and-dragons-at-cumberland-city-council-libraries-promote-literacy-and-play.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.